Shoe-lace-fastening device.



M. L. HAWKS, SHOE LACE FASTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION F|LED AUG. 18,1916.

LQQUJGQQ Patented Mar. 27, 1917 Witnesses: I 61mm UNl MOSES L. HAWKS, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-LACE-FASTENING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Moses L. HAWKS, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lace-Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification, suchas will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fastenings for shoe laces andparticularly for shoes that are provided with hooks attached to theupper part of the shoe, and the objects of my invention is to provide asimple and inexpensive device for connecting the ends of the lace whichwill be neat in appearance and effectual in operation.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a shoe with my invention attachedcomplete.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the blank before the device is bent or pressedin the required form.

Fig. 3,.is a perspective view showing the device in the proper form toreceive the lace.

Fig. 4, shows a longitudinal section of a modification of the devicewith the ends of the lace secured therein, and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the edge of Fig. 3.

This shoe lace holder is made in one I piece blanked from thin sheetmetal and formed substantially as shown. The main body portion A isprovided with a central opening in which the lace may be looped in theform of a bow, although not entirely necessary the central opening mayhave small teeth formed at opposite sides thereof as shown at B, Figs. 2and 3, which serve to more eifectually hold the lace from slipping orbecoming accidentally displaced in the holder, the body portion A isalso provided with arms, G, extending outward from opposite sidesthereof, these arm portions are provided with transverse oblong openingsor slots as shown at D, Figs. 2 and 3 the outer ends of the arms arebent nearly at right angles to the length and so that when the arms arebent and curved in toward the main body portion the extreme ends willmeet at a point Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 18,1916.

Patented Mar. 27,1917.

Serial No. 115,703.

opposite the central opening as clearly shown at E, Fig. 3, and thusform a wedge that is adapted to enter into the central opening, theholder is then in the proper form to receive the lace.

In attaching the holder to the lace the shoe being laced in the usualmanner, the ends of the lace are passed through the oblong openings inthe arm portions from the under side, then up through the centralopening in the body portion and drawn up quite tight, the ends of thelace are then looped back through the said openings preferably on theinner side so as to form the 'bows, the arm portions are then bent intoward the body portion so that the ends will wedge in the centralopening between the bows of the lace and thus crowd the lace to theopposite sides of the central opening and by that means the lace ispermanently secured in the holder, the extreme ends of the arm portionsmay then be slightly bent outward over the bows of the lace for thedouble purpose of preventing the same from being accidentally withdrawn,and to press the bows of the lace down in the proper position upon thebody portion of the holder, the holder may be detached from the lace byspringing the arms outward from the body portion, and thus withdraw theends from the central opening when the holder may be attached to a newlace in the manner described and as occasion requires.

Having thus described my invention it will readily be seen that by meansof this simple and inexpensive device the tying and untying of shoelaces and the annoyance caused by their accidentally coming untied isthereby obviated.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe lace holder made in one piece, the main body portion having acentral opening adapted to receive the looped ends of the lace, saidbody portion also being provided with arms extending outward fromoppositesides thereof, each of said arm portions having an oblongopening or 'slot near their outer ends, said arm portions being bentinward so that their extreme ends will meet and form a wedge adapted toenter into the central opening between the bows of the lace and thuspermanently secure the lace in said holder, as first described.

2. A shoe lace holder made in one piece, the main body portion having acentral opening with small teeth formed at opposite sides thereof andadapted to receive the looped ends of the lace, said body portion alsobeing provided with arms extending outward from opposite sides thereof,each of said arm portions having an oblong opening near their outerends, said arm portions being bent inward so that their extreme endswill meet and form a wedge adapted to enter into the central openingbetween the bows of the lace and thus permanently secure the lace insaid holder as described. v

7 3. shoe lace holder made in one piece, the main body portion having acentral opening adapted to receive the looped ends of the lace, saidbody portion also having arms extending outward from opposite sideCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01' I Washington, D. 0.

thereof, each of said arm portions having an oblong opening near theirouter ends, said arm portions being bent inward so that their extremeends will meet and form a wedge adapted to enter into the centralopening between the bows of the lace and thus'secure the lace in saidholder, the extreme ends of the arm portions also being slightly bentoutward over the bows of the lace substantially as shown and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 17th day of August,1916.

MOSES L. HAWKS. Witnesses W. C. CANFIELD, MAME V. MATSON.

atentl.

